University  of  California— College  of  Agriculture, 

AGRICULTURAL  EXPERIMENT  STATION. 

E.  W.  HILGARD,  Director. 


PICKLING  RIPE  AND 
GREEN  OLIVES. 

By  FREDERIC  T.  BIOLETTI. 


Natural  size.  Reduced  to  one  third. 

SEVILLANO  OLIVE. 


BULLETIN    No.   137. 

(Berkeley,  December,  1901.) 


SACRAMENTO: 
a.  j.  Johnston,  :::::::  superintendent  state  printing. 

1901. 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
.  in  2012  with  funding  from 
University  of  California,  Davis  Libraries 


http://www.archive.org/details/picklingripegree137biol 


PICKLING  RIPE  AND  GREEN  OLIVES. 


By  FREDERIC  T.  BIOLETTI. 


The  continuous  increase  in  the  crop  of  olives  in  the  State,  due  to  the 
coming  into  bearing  of  young  orchards  during  the  past  few  years,  has 
resulted  in  a  growing  demand  for  information  on  the  subject  of  olive- 
growing,  and  especially  on  the  treatment  of  the  crop  in  oil-making  and 
pickling.  It  was  to  meet  this  demand  in  a  general  way  that  Bulletin 
No.  123,  "Olives,"  was  issued  in  1899.  The  methods  of  pickling 
recommended  in  that  bulletin  seem  generally  to  have  given  satisfaction, 
but  many  complaints  have  been  received  of  failure  where  these  methods 
are  said  to  have  been  followed.  Most  of  the  cases  of  failure,  when 
more  closely  investigated,  were  found  to  be  due,  not  to  any  defect  in 
the  method  as  given  in  the  bulletin,  but  to  some  neglect  to  closely  fol- 
low the  recommendations  given.  Usually  some  important  step  had 
been  omitted  or  some  precaution  neglected.  The  most  common  mis- 
takes have  been  neglect  of  frequent  changes  of  water,  the  use  of  impure 
water,  the  omission  of  a  thorough  disinfection  of  the  pickling  vats  with 
boiling  water,  and  failure  to  adapt  the  strengths  of  lye-and-salt  solu- 
tion to  olives  of  various  grades  and  degrees  of  ripeness.  In  some  cases, 
however,  where  the  method  seems  to  have  been  followed  faithfully,  the 
pickles  have  failed  to  keep  long  enough  to  be  marketed,  especially  when 
shipped  to  Eastern  points,  where  they  have  been  subjected  to  wide 
changes  of  temperature. 

EXPERIMENTS  WITH  PICKLING  RIPE  OLIVES. 

In  order  to  throw  light  on  the  causes  of  these  latter  failures,  and  to 
attempt  to  find  some  solution  of  the  difficulties,  it  was  determined  to 
undertake  a  series  of  experimental  picklings.  For  this  purpose,  a 
quantity  of  ripe  olives  was  kindly  donated  to  the  Experiment  Station 
by  Mr.  John  Rock,  of  the  California  Nursery  Company,  at  Niles,  Ala- 
meda County.  The  olives  sent  were  particularly  suitable  for  the 
purpose,  as  they  consisted  of  several  varieties  and  were  nearly  all  dead- 
ripe,  in  fact,  many  of  them  were  considerably  over-ripe,  and  as  they 


—  4  — 

had  been  picked  and  shipped  without  any  special  precautions,  they 
were  considerably  bruised  when  received.  As  the  water  at  Berkeley 
available  for  the  purpose  of  pickling  was  far  from  the  purest,  and  was  in 
fact  contaminated  to  a  considerable  extent  with  organic  matter  and 
micro-organisms,  the  conditions  were  very  favorable  for  the  investiga- 
tion of  some  of  the  main  difficulties  encountered  in  preserving  olive 
pickles. 

The  olives  were  received  on  February  16,  1899,  and  were  of  the  fol- 
lowing varieties  :  Gordal,  Uvaria,  Columbella,  Regalis,  Rubra,  Mission, 
Manzanillo,  Nevadillo  Blanco,  forty  pounds  of  each;  Picholine  d'Aix, 
Rouget,  twenty  pounds  of  each;  Sevillano,  ten  pounds;  Oliviere,  four 
pounds;  Salliern,  Da  Salere,  Pigale,  two  pounds  of  each. 

On  account  of  the  over-ripe,  soft,  and  bruised  condition  of  most  of 
the  fruit,  it  was  determined  to  use  a  weak  lye-solution,  and  in  most 
cases  to  use  salt  from  the  beginning  of  the  process.  The  lye-solution 
was  made  up  by  dissolving  1.9  oz.  of  lye  in  one  gallon  of  boiled  water, 
that  is  at  the  rate  of  1.5  %.  An  analysis  of  the  lye-solution  showed  it 
to  contain  1.4%  of  pure  lye,  the  difference  of  one-tenth  of  a  per  cent 
being  due  to  impurities  and  to  lack  of  strict  accuracy  in  measuring 
the  water.  The  measurement,  however,  was  accurate  enough  for 
practical  purposes. 

The  olives  were  sorted  over  before  being  pickled,  in  order  to  have  them 
of  fairly  uniform  size  in  each  lot.  This  is  very  necessary  for  the  best 
results,  both  on  account  of  the  difference  of  time  needed  to  extract  the 
bitterness  of  fruit  of  different  sizes,  and  of  the  preference  of  the  consumer 
for  pickles  of  uniform  appearance.  The  small  olives  were  therefore 
rejected,  but  no  attempt  was  made  to  eliminate  over-ripe  or  bruised 
fruit.  Any  which  showed  signs  of  mold  or  decay  were  of  course  thrown 
out.  As  the  olives  were  used  very  soon  after  picking,  however,  there 
were  very  few  of  the  last  kind.  Earthenware  jars  were  used  for  pickling, 
and  the  olives  were  kept  submerged  by  means  of  floating  wooden  covers. 
The  jars  had  a  capacity  of  four  gallons  each,  except  the  jar  in  which  the 
Sevillano  was  treated,  which  was  smaller,  on  account  of  the  small 
amount  of  fruit  available.  Eight  experiments  were  made,  each  with  a 
different  variety.  A  full  account  of  the  method  pursued  and  of  the 
course  of  the  experiments  is  given  in  the  following  pages  under  the 
heading  of  the  variety  employed.  , 

The  questions  which  these  experiments  were  devised  to  answer  were: 
1.  Could  large,  over-ripe,  bruised  olives,  which  were  otherwise  in  good 
condition,  be  used  to  produce  wholesome  marketable  pickles  ?  2.  Could 
such  pickles  be  preserved  in  good  order  for  a  reasonable  length  of  time  ? 
Incidentally,  some  information  was  obtained  as  to  the  relative  suitability 
of  the  various  varieties  for  the  production  of  marketable  ripe  pickles. 


—  5  — 

1.  Gordal.     Large,    very   even   in    size,   dark  reddish  purple,  good 
condition,  very  ripe. 

Feb.  17,  1899,  5  p.  m.    Covered  with  a  solution  of  1.4%  lye  and  2%  salt. 

"      18,  9  a.  m.    Rinsed  and  left  in  water  four  hours. 

"      18,  1  p.  m.    Put  in  2%  salt  brine ;  olives  rather  soft. 

"      19,  1  p.  m.    Put  in  fresh  2%  brine ;  olives  firmer,  but  bitter. 

11      21.    Put  in  3%  salt  brine. 

"      24.    Put  in  4%  salt  brine. 

"     28.    Put  in  6%  salt  brine. 
Mar.    3.    Put  in  6%  salt  brine ;  olives  still  slightly  bitter. 

"       7.    Put  in  8%  salt  brine;  bitterness  almost  gone. 

"      28.    Put  in  12%  salt  brine  and  divided  into  four  lots : 

A.  Placed  in  an  earthenware  jar,  in  which  the  pickles  were  kept  submerged 

by  means  of  a  floating  wooden  cover. 

B.  Placed  in  a  fruit-preserving  jar  and  untreated. 

C.  Placed  in  a  fruit-preserving  jar  and  heated  to  80°  C.  (176°  Fahr.)  once. 

D.  Placed  in  a  fruit-preserving  jar  and  heated  to  80°  C.  (176°  Fahr.)  three 

times  on  successive  days. 
Oct.    30.    Olives  in  open  jar  (A)  in  perfect  condition;  better  flavored  than  the  Mission 

and  of  tenderer  texture,  though  sufficiently  firm ;  too  light  in  color. 
Nov.    1.    Olives  in  lot  A  divided  into  three  lots,  as  follows : 

E.  Placed  in  a  fruit-preserving  jar  and  left  untreated. 

F.  Placed  in  a  fruit-preserving  jar  and  heated  to  80°  C.  (176°  Fahr.). 

G.  Placed  in  a  fruit-preserving  jar  and  after  pouring  oft*  the  brine  and 

filling  up  with  water  heated  to  80°  C.  (176°  Fahr.). 
Jan.    5,  1900.     B  and  D  of  the  first  bottling  showed  mold  on  top,  but  all  the  others  had 
kept  perfectly. 

Result  in  nearly  32  months.     Oct.  5,  1901. 

Lot  B  (not  heated)  soft  and  spoiled. 

Lot  E  (not  heated)  soft  and,  though  not  spoiled,  was  much  inferior 
to  the  heated  samples  in  texture  and  flavor.  There  was  no  mold  nor 
scum  on  top  of  the  liquid,  but  a  slight  acidity  showed  the  effect  of 
fungous  or  bacterial  fermentation. 

Lot  D  showed  a  little  mold  on  top  of  the  liquid,  but  the  flavor  of 
the  olives  was  unaffected. 

The  other  heated  samples  were  all  in  good  condition,  of  good  flavor, 
and  showed  no  scum  or  mold  and  no  discoloration  of  the  brine.  Lot  G 
was  in  just  as  good  order  as  the  others,  and  was  superior  in  that  it 
contained  less  salt.  The  specific  gravity  of  the  brine  indicated  only 
5%  of  salt,  owing  doubtless  to  absorption  by  the  fruit. 

2.  Picholtne  d'Aix.  In  fair  condition,  very  uneven  in  size,  many 
small  unripe  olives,  but  the  rest  very  large  and  fine,  dark  reddish- 
black.     Many  of  the  ripe  olives  were  badly  bruised. 

Feb.  17,  1899,  5  p.  m.    Covered  with  a  solution  of  1.4%  lye  and  2%  salt. 

"     18,  1  p.  m.    Rinsed  and  put  in  2%  brine;  fairly  firm,  but  variable  in  color. 

"     19,  2  p.  m.    Put  in  2%  brine ;  very  bitter,  many  blistered. 

"     21.    Put  in  2%  brine;  still  very  bitter. 

"     24.    Put  in  2%  brine ;  still  very  bitter ;  very  firm. 

11     28.    Put  in  2  %  brine ;  still  bitter. 
Mar.    3.    Put  in  4  %  brine. 
I 


—  6  — 

Mar.    7.     Put  in  6%  brine. 
"     16.    Put  in  8%  brine. 

"     25.    Put  in  12%  brine;  placed  in  an  open  earthenware  jar,  in  which  the  olives  were 
kept  submerged  by  means  of  a  floating  wooden  cover. 
Oct.  30.    Olives  in  good  condition,  firm  and  well  flavored  ;  many  show  blisters,  but  they 
have  kept  perfectly.    The  color  is  rather  light,  the  stone  large,  and  the  skin 
tough. 
Nov.    1.     Divided  into  three  lots  and  placed  in  fresh  12%  brine  in  glass  fruit-preserving 
jars,  and  treated  as  follows : 

A.  Sealed  without  further  treatment. 

B.  Sealed  and  heated  to  80°  C.  (176°  Fahr.). 

C.  The  brine  replaced  with  water,  the  jar  sealed  and  heated  to  80°  C. 

(176°  Fahr.). 
Jan.    5,  1900.    All  the  samples  have  kept  perfectly. 

Result  in  nearly  32  months.     Oct.  2,  1901. 

Lot  A  has  a  scum  on  top  of  the  liquid,  but  the  olives  are  firm  and 
good,  though  somewhat  inferior  in  flavor  to  lots  B  and  C,  on  account  of 
a  slight  acidity,  due  probably  to  a  slight  fermentation.  B  and  C  have 
kept  perfectly  and  are  of  excellent  flavor.  C  is  the  best,  on  account  of 
the  smaller  amount  of  salt  it  contains.  This  variety  is  inferior  in 
flavor  and  texture  to  the  Manzanillo  and  the  Gordal,  but  equal  to  the 
Mission.  It  is  inferior  to  the  Mission  in  color,  but  somewhat  darker 
than  the  Gordal. 

3.  Regalis.  In  fair  condition,  varying  in  size  from  medium  to 
large,  color  varying  from  greenish -white  to  red  and  red-purple  (similar 
to  Columbella  in  color,  but  of  larger  size);  shows  a  good  deal  of  sooty 
mold. 

Feb.  17,  1899,  5  p.  m.    Washed  and  put  in  a  solution  of  1.4  %  lye  and  2%  salt. 

"     18,  1  p.  m.    Liquid  which  shows  .25%  lye,  replaced  with  a  2%  brine.    The  olives 
are  firm,  but  generally  light  and  very  uneven  in  color. 

"      19.    Put  in  2  %  brine.     Color  very  varied. 

"      21.    Put  in  3%  brine.    Bitterness  nearly  gone. 

"      24.    Put  in  4%  brine. 

"      28.    Put  in  4%  brine.    A  few  olives  slightly  bitter  still. 
Mar.    3.    Put  in  6%  brine. 

"       7.    Put  in  8%  brine. 

"      16.    Putin  12%  brine. 

"      28.    Divided  into  four  lots,  as  follows : 

A.  Placed  in  open  earthenware  jar,  in  which  the  olives  were  kept  sub- 

merged by  means  of  a  floating  wooden  cover. 

B.  Placed  in  a  glass  fruit-preserving  jar  and  sealed. 

C.  Placed  in  a  glass  fruit- preserving  jar,  sealed  and  heated  to  80°  C.  (176° 

Fahr.). 

D.  Placed  in  a  glass  fruit-preserving  jar,  sealed  and  heated  to  80°  C.  (176° 

Fahr.),  three  times  on  successive  days. 
Oct.   30.    Olives  in  the  open  jar  (A)  in  good  condition,  firm,  and  of  good  flavor.    Very 
varied  in  color,  from  white  to  dark,  almost  black.    Sample  A  was  divided 
into  three  lots  and  treated  as  follows : 

E.  Placed  in  glass  fruit-preserving  j  ar  in  12  %  brine,  and  sealed. 

F.  The  same  as  E,  but  heated  to  80°  C.  (176°  Fahr.)  after  sealing. 

G.  The  same  as  F,  but  placed  in  water  instead  of  brine. 
Jan.    5,  1900.    All  the  lots  have  kept  well. 


—  7  — 

Result  in  nearly  82  months.     Oct.  10,  1901. 

Lot  B  (not  heated)  is  soft,  moldy  on  top,  flavor  quite  spoiled. 

Lots  C  and  D  have  kept  well  and  are  of  good  flavor  and  texture,  but 
are  too  light  colored.  D  (heated  three  times)  has  a  very  dark-colored 
brine. 

Lot  E  (not  heated)  shows  a  slight  scum  on  top  of  the  liquid,  but  the 
olives  are  uninjured  except  for  a  slight  acidity  due  to  the  growth  of 
molds  or  bacteria.  The  olives  are  yellow  and  even  in  color,  the  brine 
clear  and  colorless. 

Lot  F  is  in  perfect  condition  and  of  excellent  flavor,  firm  but  tender, 
of  an  even  dark  gray  color,  but  a  little  too  salty.  The  brine  is  clear, 
but  dark  colored. 

Lot  G  has  kept  just  as  well  as  F,  and  the  smaller  amount  of  salt 
makes  it  preferable.  The  color  of  both  olives  and  liquid  is  lighter  than 
that  of  F. 

This  variety  is  an  excellent  one  for  ripe  pickles,  with  the  exception  of 
its  lack  of  color. 

4.  Manzanillo.  Bruised  and  over-ripe,  but  otherwise  in  good  con- 
dition, of  good  size,  but  not  of  such  fine  appearance  or  so  even  in  size 
and  quality  as  the  Gordal. 

Feb.  17,  1899,  5  p.  m.    Put  in  a  solution  of  1.4%  lye  and  2%  salt. 
"      18,  1  p.  m.    Rinsed  and  put  in  2%  salt  brine.    The  color  is  a  uniform  deep  black, 
with  the  exception  of  a  few  imperfectly  ripe  olives,  which  are  a  little  green 
on  one  side ;  they  are  all  of  good  flavor  and  fairly  firm ;  still  a  little  bitter. 
"      19.     Put  in  2%  brine  ;  the  ripest  fruit  has  lost  its  bitterness. 
"      21.    Put  in  2%  brine ;  many  olives  are  still  very  bitter. 
"      24.    Put  in  2%  brine;  many  olives  still  bitter. 
"      28.    Put  in  2%  brine;  still  bitter. 
Mar.    3.    Put  in  4%  brine;  bitterness  nearly  gone. 
"       7.    Put  in  8%  brine. 
"      16.    Putin  12%  brine. 
Oct.   30.    In  fine  condition  ;  deep  black  and  of  excellent  flavor;  a  little  softer  than  the 
Mission. 
"     31.     Divided  into  three  lots,  and  treated  as  follows: 

A.  Put  in  glass  fruit-preserving  jar  and  sealed  (brine  12%). 

B.  The  same  as  A,  but  heated  to  80°  C.  (176°  Fahr.)  after  sealing. 

C.  The  same  as  F>,  but  covered  with  a  layer  of  paraffin  before  sealing  and 

heating. 
Jan.    5,  1900.    All  the  samples  appear  good  and  show  no  mold  on  top. 

Result  in  nearly  32  months.     Oct.  7,  1901. 

Lot  A.  A  heavy  scum  on  top  of  the  liquid;  olives  soft,  acid,  and 
slightly  rancid,  of  poor  quality. 

Lot  B.     Better  than  A,  but  not  so  good  as  C. 

Lot  C.  Has  kept  perfectly;  of  excellent  flavor  and  texture  and  deep 
uniform  black  color. 

The  Manzanillo  is  the  best  pickle  of  the  series,  and  is  equaled  in 
flavor  and  texture  only  by  the  Gordal,  which  is  inferior  in  color. 


—  8  — 

5.  Mission.  In  good  condition;  firm  and  less  over-ripe  than  the 
Manzanillo. 

Feb.  17,  1899,  5  p.  m.    Put  in  a  solution  of  1.4%  lye  and  2%  salt. 
"      19,  1  p.  m.    Rinsed  and  put  in  2%  salt  brine;  olives  all  uniformly  black  and  fairly 

firm. 
"     21.    Put  in  2%  brine. 
"      24.    Put  in  2%  brine;  still  bitter. 
"      28.    Put  in  2%  brine ;  still  a  little  bitter. 
Mar.    3.    Put  in  4%  brine. 
7.    Put  in  8%  brine. 
"      16.    Put  in  12%  brine. 
Oct.    30.    In  good  condition  ;   black,  firm,  and  of  good  flavor;  a  little  mold  around- the 
edge  of  the  cover,  but  the  olives  unaffected. 
"     31.     Divided  into  three  lots,  and  treated  as  follows : 

A.  Put  in  glass  fruit-preserving  jar  and  sealed  (brine  12%). 

B.  The  same  as  A,  but  heated  to  80°  C.  (176°  Fahr.)  after  sealing. 

C.  The  same  as  B,  but  heated  to  90°  C.  (194°  Fahr.).    The  bottle  cracked 

during  the  heating,  and  the  sample  was  lost. 
Jan.     5,  1900.    Both  lots  A  and  B  seem  to  have  kept  well. 

Result  in  nearly  32  months.     Oct.  8,  1901. 

Lot  A  shows  a  scum  on  top  of  the  liquid,  and  the  olives  have  a  faint 
acid  taste,  due  to  bacterial  or  fungous  fermentation;  the  quality  is  fair 
but  not  nearly  equal  to  B,  and  the  color  is  lighter. 

Lot  B  is  of  excellent  quality  and  in  perfect  condition;  firm  but  not 
tough,  dark  brownish-black;  the  flavor  is  clean  and  good,  but  not  quite 
equal  to  that  of  the  Gordal  or  the  Manzanillo. 

6.  Columbella.  In  fair  condition,  some  of  the  olives  shriveled;  of 
good  size,  averaging  a  little  smaller  than  the  Regalis. 

Feb.  18,  1899,  8:30  a.  m.    Put  in  a  solution  of  1.4%  lye. 

"     18,  3  p.  m.    Rinsed  and  put  in  a  solution  containing  1.4%  lye  and  2%  salt. 

"     19,  12  m.    Put  in  2%  brine ;  still  bitter  and  taste  of  lye. 

"     21.    Put  in  2  %  brine. 

"     24.    Put  in  2%  brine;  taste  of  lye,  but  little  bitterness. 

"     28.     Put  in  4%  brine;  not  bitter. 
Mar.   3.    Put  in  6%  brine. 

"       7.     Put  in  8%  brine. 

"     16.    Putin  12%  brine. 

"     28.     Divided  into  four  lots,  as  follows : 

A.  Placed  in  an  open  earthenware  jar,  in  which  the  olives  were  kept  sub- 

merged by  means  of  a  floating  wooden  cover. 

B.  Placed  in  glass  fruit-preserving  jar,  and  sealed. 

C.  The  same  as  B,  but  heated  to  80°  C.  (176°  Fahr.)  after  sealing. 

D.  The  same  as  C,  but  heated  three  times  to  80°  C.  (176°  Fahr.)  after  sealing. 
Oct.  30.    Lot  A  (in  open  jar)  in  good  condition,  firm,  sound,  and  of  good  flavor  and 

texture ;  color  light  and  somewhat  spotted. 
"      31.    Divided  A  into  three  lots,  as  follows : 

E.  Put  in  glass  fruit-preserving  jar,  and  sealed. 

F.  The  same  as  E,  except  that  it  was  heated  to  90°  C.  (194°  Fahr.)  after 

sealing. 

G.  The  same  as  F,  except  that  it  was  covered  with  a  layer  of  paraffin  before 

sealing  and  heating. 
Jan.     5,  1900.    Lot  B  is  covered  with  a  thick  mold ;  the  others  have  kept  perfectly. 


—  9  — 

Result  in  nearly  32  months.     Oct.  10,  1901. 

Lot  B  (unheated)  moldy  and  spoiled. 

Lots  C  and  D  (heated)  firm,  sound,  and  of  good  flavor. 

Lot  E  (unheated)  shows  no  scum  on  top  and  has  kept  fairly  well;  it 
has  less  of  the  acidity  that  characterizes  most  of  the  other  unheated 
samples,  but  it  is  inferior  in  flavor  to  C,  D,  F,  and  G. 

Lots  F  and  G  are  firm,  sound,  and  of  good  flavor,  somewhat  darker 
in  color  than  E,  which  is  light  yellow;  the  brine  is  also  darker  in  color 
than  that  of  E. 

7.  Rouget.  In  good  condition,  firm,  ripe,  but  not  over-ripe,  unin- 
jured by  frost  or  rain;  rather  small,  but  larger  than  the  Rubra,  and 
nearly  as  large  as  the  Nevadillo. 

Feb.  18,  1899,  8:30  a.  m.    Put  in  1.4%  lye-solution. 
"      18,3  p.m.    Putin  2%  salt  brine. 

"  19,  12  m.  Put  in  a  fresb  2%  salt  brine.  The  olives  have  a  sweetish  taste  and  very- 
little  bitterness  or  taste  of  lye ;  the  flesh  is  soft. 
"  20.  Put  in  4%  brine. 
"  24.  Put  in  4  %  brine. 
"  28.  Put  in  4%  brine. 
Mar.  3.  Put  in  6  %  brine. 
"        8.     Putin  8%  brine. 

"      16.    Put  in  12%  brine;  placed  in  open  earthenware  jar,  in  which  the  olives  were 
kept  submerged  by  means  of  a  floating  wooden  cover. 
Oct.   30.    Perfectly  sound,  firm,  and  of  a  dark  gray  color.    The  flavor  is  not  very  good — 

too  oily. 
Nov.    1.    Divided  into  three  lots,  and  treated  as  follows : 

A.  Put  in  a  glass  fruit-preserving  jar,  and  sealed. 

B.  The  same  as  A,  except  that  it  was  heated  to  80°  C.  (176°  Fahr.)  after 

sealing. 

C.  The  same  as  B,  except  that  it  was  covered  with  a  layer  of  paraffin  before 

sealing  and  heating. 
Jan.    5,  1900.     All  the  lots  have  kept  well. 

Result  in  nearly  32  months.  Oct.  10,  1901.  All  the  samples  have 
kept  well,  except  that  A  has  a  scum  on  top  of  the  liquid.  The  heated 
samples  are  darker-colored  and  slightly  better  in  flavor  than  A,  but 
none  of  them  are  very  good.  The  olives  are  tough  and  of  poor  flavor; 
the  variety  is  evidently  unsuited  for  pickling. 

8.  Sevillano.  Extremely  large  and  of  fine  appearance,  but  over- 
ripe and  in  poor  condition.  Many  have  been  injured  by  being  pecked 
by  birds.     The  best  were  sorted  out  and  pickled. 

Feb.  17,  1899,  5  p.  m.    Put  in  a  solution  of  1.4  %  lye  and  2  %  salt. 
"      18,  9  a.  m.    Rinsed  and  put  in  2%  salt  brine.    The  olives  are  of  a  uniform  deep 

black,  but  very  bitter  and  rather  soft. 
"      19.    Put  in  2%  brine ;  still  bitter,  some  soft  but  most  are  firm. 
"      20.    Put  in  2%  brine. 
"      21.    Put  in  4  %  brine. 
"     23.    Put  in  4%  brine ;  still  a  little  bitter. 
•'      28.    Put  in  6%  brine  ;  a  very  little  bitterness  left. 


ii 


—  10  — 

Mar.    3.    Put  in  8%  brine. 
7.    Putin  12%  brine. 
"      16.    Divided  into  three  lots,  and  treated  as  follows : 

A.  Put  in  a  glass  fruit-preserving  jar  and  sealed. 

B.  The  same  as  A,  but  heated  to  70°  C.  (158°  Fahr.)  for  15  min.  after  sealing. 

C.  The  same  as  B,  but  heated  to  70°  C.  (158°  Fahr.)  for  15  min.  three  times 

on  successive  days. 
Jan.      5,  1900.    Lots  A  and  B  show  mold  on  top  of  the  liquid.    Lot  C  has  kept  perfectly. 

Result  in  nearly  32  months.     Oct.  10,  1901. 

Lot  A  quite  spoiled. 

Lot  B  shows  a  little  mold  on  top,  but  the  olives  are  firm  and  edible, 
though  not  of  so  good  flavor  as  lot  C. 

Lot  C  has  kept  perfectly  and  the  olives  are  firm  and  of  very  good 
flavor  and  dark  color. 

Over-ripe  Olives. — These  experiments  show  that  even  soft,  over-ripe 
olives  may  be  successfully  pickled  by  proper  modifications  of  the  lye- 
and-salt  method,  even  when  the  fruit  has  been  somewhat  carelessly 
handled  before  pickling  and  when  the  water  used  is  not  of  the  purest. 
The  main  precautions  in  such  cases  are  to  use  a  certain  amount  of  salt 
!  J  from  the  beginning  of  the  process,  and  to  watch  carefully  for  the  first 
appearance  of  scum  or  slime  on  top  of  any  of  the  liquids  in  which  the 
olives  are  immersed.  On  the  appearance  of  the  slightest  of  these  signs  of 
fermentation,  the  solution  must  be  changed  and  the  receptacle  thoroughly 
disinfected  with  boiling  water.  The  salt  hardens  the  flesh  and  makes  it 
more  resistant  to  fermentative  organisms  which  exist  in  the  water,  and  at 
the  same  time  the  antiseptic  properties  of  the  salt,  even  when  used  in 
such  small  proportions  as  2  %,  are  probably  of  use  in  delaying  the  increase 
of  these  organisms,  molds,  and  bacteria.  All  the  samples,  with  the 
exception  of  the  Sevillano,  kept  without  perceptible  deterioration  for 
eight  months  in  open  jars  after  pickling,  although  they  were  unpro- 
tected from  the  air  except  for  a  floating  wooden  cover.  A  ring  of  mold 
formed  around  the  edge  of  the  cover,  but  there  was  no  perceptible 
injury  to  the  flavor  of  the  pickles,  except  for  a  slight  moldiness  in  the 
taste  of  the  Sevillano. 

SUMMARY  OF   THE  RESULTS  OP    VARIOUS    METHODS  OF   KEEPING   THE 
PICKLED    OLIVES. 

1.  Seven  samples  (Gordal,  Picholine,  Regalis,  Manzanillo,  Mission, 
Columbella,  and  Rouget)  were  placed  in  12%  brine  in  open  earthenware 
jars  with  floating  wooden  covers.  A  little  mold  formed  around  the 
edge  of  the  floating  cover,  but  the  pickles  were  uninjured  in  flavor, 
texture,  or  color  at  the  end  of  eight  months. 

2.  Four  samples  (Gordal,  Regalis,  Columbella,  and  Sevillano)  were 
placed  in  12%  brine  in  hermetically  sealed  fruit-preserving  jars  imme- 
diately after  pickling.     All  except  the  Regalis  were  very  moldy  at  the 


—  11  — 

end   of  eleven  months,  and  they  were  all  quite  spoiled  at  the  end  of 
thirty-two  months. 

3.  Seven  samples  (Gordal,  Picholine,  Regalis,  Manzanillo,  Mission, 
Columbella,  and  Rouget)  were  kept  in  open  jars  for  eight  months  (see 
No.  1)  and  then  placed  in  fresh  12%  brine  in  sealed  fruit-preserving 
jars.  When  examined  at  the  end  of  eleven  months  (three  months  after 
sealing)  they  were  all  sound,  but  at  the  end  of  thirty-two  months  the 
Manzanillo  was  almost  spoiled,  the  Gordal  much  deteriorated,  and  the 
others  though  still  edible  were  much  injured  in  flavor  and  appearance. 

4.  Three  samples  (Gordal,  Regalis,  and  Columbella)  were  placed  in 
12%  brine  in  sealed  fruit-preserving  jars  and  heated  to  80°  C.  (176° 
Fahr.)  immediately  after  pickling.  They  were  all  in  perfect  condition 
when  examined  at  the  end  of  thirty-two  months.  A  sample  of  Sevillano, 
which  was  treated  in  the  same  way  except  that  it  was  heated  to  only 
70°  C.  (158°  Fahr.),  had  deteriorated  slightly  but  was  still  quite  edible, 
while  a  corresponding  unheated  sample  was  quite  spoiled. 

5.  Seven  samples  of  the  pickles  kept  in  open  jars  for  eight  months 
(see  No.  1)  were  placed  in  sealed  fruit-preserving  jars  at  the  end  of  the 
eight  months  and  heated  to  80°  C.  (176°  Fahr.).  All  the  samples  kept 
perfectly  with  the  exception  of  the  Manzanillo,  which  showed  a  slight 
deterioration  in  flavor. 

6.  Three  samples  (Gordal,  Picholine,  and  Regalis)  of  the  pickles 
kept  in  open  jars  (see  No.  1)  were  placed  in  pure  water  in  sealed  fruit- 
preserving  jars  at  the  end  of  the  eight  months  and  heated  to  80°  C. 
(176°  Fahr.).  All  kept  perfectly  and  were  preferable  to  all  the  others 
at  the  end  of  thirty-two  months,  on  account  of  the  smaller  amount  of 
salt  that  they  contained.  The  specific  gravity  of  the  brine  at  the  end 
of  the  thirty-two  months  indicated  only  5%  salt. 

7.  Three  samples  (Gordal,  Regalis,  and  Columbella)  were  heated  to 
80°  C.  (176°  Fahr.)  three  times  on  successive  days  in  sealed  fruit- 
preserving  jars  and  kept  perfectly,  but  showed  no  superiority  to  those 
heated  only  once.  One  sample  (Sevillano)  heated  in  the  same  way  three 
times  to  70°  C.  (158°  Fahr.)  also  kept  perfectly,  and  was  superior  at  the 
end  of  thirty-two  months  to  a  sample  of  the  same  variety  heated  only 
once  to  70°  C.  (158°  Fahr.). 

8.  Three  samples  (Manzanillo,  Columbella,  and  Rouget)  were  placed 
in  sealed  fruit-preserving  jars  and  covered  with  a  layer  of  paraffin  before 
being  heated  to  80°  C.  (176°  Fahr.).  They  all  kept  perfectly,  but  the 
paraffin  was  objectionable,  and  though  the  Manzanillo  sample  seemed 
to  have  kept  a  little  better  than  the  heated  sample  without  paraffin,  a 
little  longer  or  higher  heating  would  doubtless  be  equally  effective,  and 
the  troublesome  and  unsightly  paraffin  would  not  be  needed. 

In  a  general  way  it  may  be  said  that  all  of  the  eleven  unheated  sam- 
ples kept  in  fair  to  good  condition  for  eleven  months,  but  that  they 


—  12  — 

were  all  more  or  less  spoiled  before  the  end  of  thirty-two  months;  and, 
on  the  other  hand,  that  all  the  twenty  samples  heated  to  80°  C.  (176° 
Fahr.)  kept  perfectly  to  the  end  of  thirty -two  months,  and  were  quite 
as  good  if  not  better  than  when  first  made,  with  the  exception  of  one 
sample,  which  had  deteriorated  slightly. 

It  may  be  concluded  from  this  that  heating  to  80°  C.  (176°  Fahr.)  is  a 
sufficient  means  of  preserving  ripe  olives,  even  in  weak  brine,  for  an 
indefinite  period  in  hermetically  sealed  glass  jars,  provided  that  they 
are  exposed  to  no  greater  changes  of  temperature  than  occur  in  an 
ordinary  room  in  Berkeley.  Whether  they  would  have  kept  so  long 
without  deterioration  if  exposed  to  the  trying  conditions  of  shipment 
to  Eastern  points  is  doubtful;  but  there  is  no  doubt  that  they  would 
have  kept  much  better  and  longer,  even  under  those  conditions,  than 
olives  treated  in  the  usual  wTay,  and  there  is  every  reason  to  believe 
that  a  slightly  higher  heating,  say  to  90°  or  95°  C.  (194°  or  203°  Fahr.), 
would  have  made  them  perfectly  secure  in  any  climate. 

That  this  heating  could  be  applied  successfully  to  olives  in  wooden 
casks  seems  highly  probable.  A  method  which  would  doubtless  be 
effective  would  be  to  place  the  pickles  in  a  8%  or  10%  brine  in  casks 
previously  sterilized  by  steaming,  and  then  to  heat  them  with  a  cur- 
rent of  pressure  steam  conducted  directly  into  the  brine.  It  would  not 
be  difficult  to  devise  means  for  preventing  the  superheated  steam  from 
coming  directly  in  contact  with  the  olives  and  to  keep  them  in  constant 
movement  in  order  to  guard  against  too  much  heating  of  a  part  of  the 
contents  of  the  cask  until  they  were  all  heated  to  a  uniform  tempera- 
ture of  90°  C.  (194°  Fahr.).  Properly  pickled  olives  are,  moreover, 
very  resistant  to  heat,  and  even  100°  C.  (212°  Fahr.)  continued  for  half 
an  hour  has  no  perceptible  effect  on  their  texture  or  flavor,  unless  it  be 
a  slight  improvement  of  both. 

The  only  objection  to  heating  noted  was  that  it  causes  a  diffusion  of 
the  coloring  matter  of  the  olives  into  the  brine,  so  that  after  heating  the 
olives  were  lighter-colored  and  the  brine  darker  than  before.  This 
diffusion,  however,  takes  place  in  time  even  with  unheated  olives,  and 
at  the  end  of  thirty-two  months  the  unheated  olives  were  in  most  cases 
actually  lighter-colored  than  those  which  had  been  heated. 

RELATIVE    QUALITY    OF    THE    VARIETIES    TESTED. 

All  the  varieties  experimented  with  made  pickles  of  excellent  quality 
with  the  exception  of  the  Rouget,  which  was  small,  greasy,  and  of  a 
sweetish  disagreeable  flavor.  Some  of  the  varieties,  however,  were 
superior  to  others  in  flavor  and  texture,  others  in  size  and  shape,  and 
others  in  color.  In  the  following  lists  they  are  arranged  in  the  order 
of  their  merit  in  these  various  particulars: 


--  13  — 

Flavor  and  texture:  Gordal,  Manzanillo,  Columbella,  Regalis,  Mission, 
Sevillano,  Picholine. 

Color:  Manzanillo,  Sevillano,  Mission,  Picholine,  Gordal. 

Size:  Sevillano,  Picholine,  Manzanillo,  Gordal,  Mission,  Regalis, 
Columbella. 

In  arranging  these  varieties  in  order  of  excellence,  account  must  be 
taken  of  whether  we  mean  excellence  from  the  market  point  of  view  or 
from  that  of  the  connoisseur.  The  market  demands  two  qualities  above 
all  others — large  size  and  deep  color.  The  typical  olive  shape  is  also 
desirable,  but  flavor  and  texture  seem  to  be  of  secondary  importance. 
For  this  reason  no  small  olive  will  command  a  good  price,  and  light- 
colored  varieties  such  as  the  Columbella  and  Regalis,  though  of 
superior  quality,  will  bring  lower  prices  than  the  Mission  or  Picholine. 
The  Manzanillo  combines  the  qualities  of  large  size,  dark  color,  and 
delicate  flavor  and  texture  in  a  higher  degree  than  any  other  variety;  but 
its  peculiar  short,  apple  shape  is  considered  less  desirable  by  buyers 
than  the  typical  olive  shape  of  the  Sevillano  and  Mission.  For  these 
reasons  the  relative  excellence  of  the  varieties  tested  would  seem  to  be 
that  indicated  by  their  position  in  the  following  lists: 

For  home  use:  Gordal,  Manzanillo,  Columbella,  Regalis. 

For  market:  Sevillano,  Mission,  Picholine,  Manzanillo,  Gordal. 


EXPERIMENTS  IN  PICKLING  GREEN  OLIVES. 

At  the  suggestion  of  Mr.  H.  H.  Moore,  of  Stockton,  a  series  of  experi- 
ments was  undertaken  with  the  object  of  determining  the  best  method 
of  pickling  green  olives.  Green  olives  can  be,  and  have  been,  pickled 
in  California  by  exactly  the  same  methods  used  for  ripe  olives,  and 
when  treated  in  this  way  leave  nothing  to  be  desired  as  regards  flavor 
and  keeping  qualities.  They  have,  however,  the  defect,  fatal  commer- 
cially, of  losing  their  bright  green  color  during  the  process  of  pickling, 
or  shortly  afterward.  Practically  all  the  unripe  olives  prepared  in 
California  turn  an  unsightly  brown  or  gray,  and  have  for  this  reason 
been  unmarketable  in  competition  with  the  imported  Spanish  olives, 
which  usually  retain  their  bright  green  or  yellowish-green  color,  even 
when  taken  from  the  brine  and  exposed  to  the  air  for  a  considerable 
time  on  the  counters  of  the  grocers.  In  spite  of  the  opinions  of  connois- 
seurs and  of  the  analyses  of  chemists,  which  show  that  the  ripe  pickled 
olives  are  not  only  more  pleasing  to  the  cultivated  palate  but  more 
digestible  and  nutritious,  the  fact  remains  that  the  favorite  olives  with 
the  average  consumer,  and  those  for  which  the  trade  can  afford  to  pay 
the  highest  price,  are  the  large  green  "Queen"  olives  of  Spain.  These 
are  the  product  of  several  large-fruited  varieties  pickled  when  green  by 


—  14  — 

processes  which  are  trade  secrets  of  the  Spanish  producers,  or  which 
having  been  devised  for  local  conditions  are  inapplicable  here.  The 
finest  and  largest  are  made  from  a  variety  called  Sevillano;  though 
other  large  kinds  are  used,  and  doubtless  any  large  olive  such  as 
Macrocarpa,  True  Picholine,  Santa  Catarina,  and  Ascolano,  could  be 
successfully  marketed,  if  cured  in  the  same  way.  Now  that  these 
varieties  are  beginning  to  be  produced  in  California  in  notable  quan- 
tities, it  is  important  that  some  way  of  preparing  them  should  be  found 
that  will  enable  them  to  hold  their  own  against  their  imported  rivals. 

The  olives  used  in  the  experiments  detailed  below  were  of  the  Agos- 
tino  variety,  and  were  kindly  furnished  by  Mr.  Moore  from  his  orchard 
near  Lodi,  in  San  Joaquin  County.  They  were  shipped  to  Berkeley  in 
ordinary  wooden  boxes,  but  arrived  in  good  condition,  for  being  hard 
and  unripe  they  were  not  at  all  bruised.  The  greater  part  of  them 
were  quite  green,  but  a  few,  15%  or  20%,  had  commenced  to  show  indi- 
cations of  ripening  in  a  tint  of  red  on  one  side.  Before  using,  they  were 
divided  into  two  lots  of  different  sizes  by  means  of  an  improvised 
grader  consisting  of  a  galvanized  wire-netting  screen. 

As  it  had  already  been  demonstrated  that  the  best  results  with  ripe 
olives,  both  as  regards  color,  flavor,  and  keeping  qualities,  were  to  be 
obtained  with  weak  lye-solutions  applied  several  times,  instead  of  a 
single  treatment  with  a  stronger  solution,  a  first  series  of  experiments 
was  undertaken  to  demonstrate  the  effect  of  these  two  methods  upon 
green  olives.  For  this  series  nine  earthenware  jars  of  three  gallons 
capacity  were  taken  and  filled  with  the  olives  to  be  experimented  on. 
The  jars  had  flat  earthenware  tops  that  were  supported  by  a  rim  on  the 
inside  of  the  slightly  constricted  necks  of  the  jars,  so  that  when  the 
various  solutions  were  poured  in  and  the  jars  filled,  the  weight  of 
the  tops  kept  all  of  the  olives  submerged.  This  complete  submersion 
of  all  the  olives  is  very  important  in  obtaining  uniform  color.  Each 
of  the  nine  jars  represented  a  different  experiment,  as  follows : 

Experiment  No.  1.  An  attempt  was  made  in  this  experiment  to 
extract  the  bitterness  without  the  use  of  lye.  Three  gallons  of  the 
large  olives  were  placed  in  a  jar  and  kept  in  a  constantly  running 
stream  of  water.  The  water  entered  at  the  bottom  of  the  jar,  flowed 
through  the  mass,  and  emerged  at  the  top.  At  the  end  of  six  days  the 
color  was  completely  spoiled.  The  olives  had  become  of  a  dirty  brown, 
and  had  completely  lost  all  their  greenness,  while  the  bitterness  had 
hardly  diminished  at  all. 

Experiment  No.  2.  This  was  a  duplicate  of  Experiment  No.  1,  with  the 
exception  that  small  olives  were  used.     The  result  was  identical. 

These  experiments  showed  among  other  things  that  a  slowly-moving, 
constant  stream  of  water  is  much  more  favorable  to  the  growth  of  the 
bacterial  and  fungous  slime  which  is  so  troublesome  in  pickling,  than 


—  15  — 

standing  water  that  is  removed  even  so  seldom  as  once  a  day.  The 
amount  of  slime  produced  in  the  six  days  of  the  experiment  was  suffi- 
cient to  have  spoiled  the  flavor  of  the  pickles  permanently,  even  had 
the  color  not  been  changed. 

Experiment  No.  3.  Three  gallons  of  large  olives  were  placed  in  a  \°/Q 
solution  of  lye  for  twenty-four  hours.  The  lye  was  then  replaced  with 
water  which  was  changed  every  twelve  hours.  At  the  end  of  three  days, 
the  olives  being  still  bitter,  they  were  placed  in  a  new  lye-solution  of 
the  same  strength  for  twenty-four  hours.  As  the  bitterness  failed  to 
disappear  this  lye-treatment  was  repeated  at  6,  10,  13,  and  16  days, 
being  prolonged  for  only  twelve  hours,  however,  in  these  cases.  Even 
with  these  repeated  lye-treatments  the  bitterness  had  not  all  disappeared 
on  the  fifteenth  day,  and  by  that  time  the  color  was  becoming  brownish. 
On  the  twentieth  day  the  bitterness  had  disappeared,  but  the  color  was 
spoiled. 

Experiment  No.  4.  Three  gallons  of  small  olives  were  placed  in  a  \  % 
lye-solution  for  twenty-four  hours;  the  lye  then  replaced  with  water, 
which  was  changed  twice  a  day.  In  thirteen  days  the  olives  had  com- 
menced to  turn  brown  and  were  still  very  bitter.  At  sixteen  days  they 
were  placed  in  a  \\°/Q  lye-solution  for  twelve  hours,  and  at  eighteen 
days  nearly  all  the  bitterness  had  disappeared,  but  the  color  was  com- 
pletely spoiled. 

Experiment  No.  5.  Three  gallons  of  small  olives  were  placed  in  a  1% 
lye-solution  for  eighteen  hours,  and  the  water  changed  twice  a  day  there- 
after. At  fourteen  days  the  color  was  still  good,  but  the  bitterness  had 
not  disappeared,  so  another  1  %  lye-solution  was  poured  on  and  left  for 
twelve  hours.  This  was  repeated  at  seventeen  days,  and  at  eighteen 
days  the  bitterness  was  gone,  but  the  color  was  spoiled. 

Experiment  No.  6.  Three  gallons  of  small  olives  were  treated  with  a 
H%  lye-solution  for  eighteen  hours,  and  then  placed  in  water  changed 
twice  a  day.  The  color  commenced  to  change  in  four  days,  and  in 
eleven  days  was  quite  spoiled  and  the  bitterness  still  strong. 

Experiment  No.  7.  Three  gallons  of  large  olives  were  treated  for 
eight  hours  with  a  l-£%  lye-solution  and  then  with  two  daily  changes  of 
water.  The  second  day  another  eight-hour  immersion  in  a  lye-solution 
of  the  same  strength  was  given.  In  four  days  the  color  was  quite 
spoiled  and  the  bitterness  still  persisted. 

Experiment  No.  8.  Three  gallons  of  small  olives  were  placed  in  a 
solution  containing  1-$%  lye  and  1-$%  salt,  which  was  replaced  with 
water  at  the  end  of  eighteen  hours.  The  water  was  changed  twice  a  day, 
but  at  the  end  of  three  days  the  color  was  completely  spoiled. 

Experiment  No.  9.  Three  gallons  of  small  olives  were  treated  for  four 
hours  with  a  2%  lye-solution,  and  then  placed  in  water  changed  twice 
a  day.  At  the  end  of  the  second  day  the  color  had  commenced  to 
change,  and  at  the  end  of  three  days  it  was  completely  spoiled. 


—  16  — 

These  experiments  showed  that  none  of  the  usual  methods  of  treating 
ripe  olives,  viz:  short  treatment  with  comparatively  strong  lye,  long  or 
repeated  treatments  with  weak  lye,  or  treatment  with  water  alone,  were 
successful  in  preserving  the  green  color  of  unripe  olives  under  the  condi- 
tions of  these  experiments.  By  reference  to  the  following  table  it  will 
be  seen  that  the  green  color  was  destroyed  the  more  rapidly  the  stronger 
the  lye-solution  in  which  they  were  placed.  In  the  jars  where  no  lye 
was  used  the  time  of  the  destruction  of  the  color  was  intermediate 
between  that  of  the  strong  and  that  of  the  weak  lye-solutions. 

Nature  of  treatment.  Time  of  turning  brown. 

No  lye — running  water 6  days. 

Lye  3^%,  repeated  at  intervals  4  times 20     " 

Lye  K%>  and  after  16  days  1% % 18     " 

Lye  1%,  and  after  14  days  1%  again 18     " 

Lyel^% - - 11  " 

Lye  1%%,  and  after  2  days  1%%  again 4  " 

Lye  1%%  and  salt  V/% % 3  " 

Lye  2%.. 3  » 

In  considering  the  experiments  with  lye  in  this  table  it  would  seem 
that  the  lye  was  the  cause  of  the  destruction  of  the  green  color;  but  the 
destruction  of  the  color  in  those  experiments  where  no  lye  was  used 
indicated  that  this  was  not  a  full  explanation.  A  jar  of  untreated 
olives  was  left  in  water  accidentally  for  several  days  without  changing, 
and  it  was  noted  that  these  retained  their  green  color  longer  than  the 
olives  left  in  a  running  stream  of  water.  This  suggested  that  the 
turning  brown  was  due  to  oxidation  caused  by  the  air  dissolved  in  the 
running  water  and  in  the  water  replaced  daily  in  the  lye-treated  olives; 
and  that  this  oxidation  was  simply  accelerated  by  the  softening  action 
of  the  lye  upon  the  tissues  of  the  fruit.  Another  series  of  experiments 
was  therefore  undertaken  to  see  whether  it  was  possible  to  preserve 
the  green  color  by  extracting  the  bitterness  with  a  minimum  exposure 
to  the  oxygen  of  the  air  or  of  that  dissolved  in  water.  This  series  was 
made  with  another  lot  of  the  same  olives  used  in  the  first  series.  Lye- 
solutions  of  various  strengths  were  used,  and  the  olives  kept  in  them 
until  all  the  bitterness  was  removed.  With  the  weaker  solutions  it  was 
necessary  to  renew  the  solutions  several  times  in  order  to  completely 
neutralize  the  acrid  substances  to  which  the  bitterness  is  due.  All  the 
lye-solutions  were  boiled  before  using,  in  order  to  expel  all  the  dissolved 
air ;  earthenware  covers  were  submerged  in  the  brine. 

SECOND    SERIES   OF    EXPERIMENTS. 

Experiment  No.  1,  with  i  %  lye-solution: 

Nov.  3,    9:45  p.m.  Placed  in  lye-solution. 

"  4,    9:45  a.m.  Olives  and  solution  unchanged  in  color. 

"  4,    4:30  p.m.  Lye  not  neutralized,  uncolored. 

"  5,11:30  a.m.  Lye  nearly  neutralized,  uncolored. 


—  17  — 

Nov.    6,  11:30  a.  m.    Renewed  lye-solution;  olives  green,  but  bitter. 
"       8,    9:00  a.  m.    Renewed  lye-solution;  olives  green,  but  bitter. 

"  10,    8:30  a.m.    Renewed  lye-solution;  olives  green,  but  bitter. 

"  12,  10:30  a.  m.    Renewed  lye-solution;  olives  green,  but  bitter;  lye  straw-colored. 

"  15.    Olives  still  sligbtly  bitter;  put  in  1%  salt  brine. 

"  16.    Olives  still  slightly  bitter. 

11  17.     Put  in  2%  salt-solution  ;  bitterness  almost  gone. 

"  18.    Put  in  4%  salt-solution. 

"  20.    Put  in  6%  salt-solution;  olives  turned  a  little  brown. 

"  22.    Put  in  12%  salt-solution. 

Experiment  No.  2,  with  %  %  lye-solution: 

Nov.    3,    9:45  a.m.    Placed  the  olives  in  a  %%  lye-solution. 
"       4,    9:45  a.m.    Lye  and  olives  unchanged  in  color. 
"       5,11:30  a.m.    Lye  pale  straw  color;  not  neutralized. 
"       8,    9:00  a.  m.    Olives  still  of  good  color,  but  bitter;   lye  neutralized;  solution 

renewed. 
"      10.    Lye  neutralized  ;  renewed  solution  ;  color  of  olives  darkening. 
"      15.    Put  in  2%  salt-solution ;  bitterness  almost  gone. 
"      17.    Put  in  4%  salt-solution. 

"     20.    Put  in  6%  salt-solution;  olives  a  little  brown. 
"     22.    Put  in  12%  salt-solution  ;  olives  a  little  browner. 

Experiment  No.  3,  with  j  %  lye-solution: 

Nov.    3,  9:45  p.  m.    Placed  the  olives  in  a  %  %  lye-solution. 
"       4,9:45  a.m.    Lye  faintly  yellow ;  olives  unchanged. 
"       6,  5:00  p.  m.    Lye  neutralized;  solution  renewed;  olives  still  bitter. 
"       8,  9:30  a.  m.    Lye  neutralized;  solution  renewed;  olives  still  bitter. 
"       9.    Put  in  2%  salt-solution  ;  bitterness  disappeared. 

"  12.    Put  in  4%  salt-solution. 

"  15.    Put  in  6%  salt-solution. 

"  20.    Put  in  8%  salt-solution. 

"  22.    Putin  12%  salt-solution. 

Experiment  No.  4,  with  1  %  lye-solution: 

Nov.  3,  9:45  p.  m.    Placed  the  olives  in  a  1%  lye-solution. 

"  4,  9:45  a.m.    Lye  yellow;  olives  unchanged. 

"  6,  11:30  a.  m.    Lye  not  neutralized  ;  olives  still  bitter. 

"  6,  5:00  p.  m.    Put  in  2%  salt-solution;  lye  neutralized;  olives  still  a  little  bitter. 

"  7.  Salt-solution  colorless. 

"  8.  Put  in  4%  salt-solution. 

"  12.  Put  in  6%  salt-solution. 

"  15.  Put  in  8%  salt-solution. 

"  20.  Putin  12%  salt-solution. 

Experiment  No.  5,  with  1-J  %  lye-solution: 

Nov.  3,  9:45  p.m.  Placed  the  olives  in  a  1>^%  lye-solution. 
"  4,  9:45  a.m.  Lye  yellow;  olives  unchanged  in  color. 
"       6,  11:30  a.  m.    Lye  not  neutralized;  bitterness  gone;  color  still  good. 

6,  11:30  a.  m.    Put  in  2%  salt-solution. 
"       8.    Put  in  4%  salt-solution  ;  salt-solution  colorless. 
"      12.    Put  in  6%  salt-solution. 
"      15.    Put  in  8%  salt-solution. 
"      20.    Putin  12%  salt-solution. 


—  18  — 

Experiment  No.  6,  with  2%  lye-solution: 

Nov.    3,    9:45  p.m.    Placed  the  olives  in  a  2%  lye-solution. 
"       4,    9:45  a.m.    Lye  brownish-yellow ;  olives  unchanged  in  color. 
"       5,  11:30  a.  m.    No  discoloration  of  the  olives. 
"       6,11:30  a.m.    Lye  not  neutralized;    bitterness  gone;   olives  of  good  color  and 

like  those  of  Experiment  No.  5,  except  that  they  were  a  little  soft. 
"       6.    Put  in  a  2%  salt-solution. 
"       7.    Put  in  a  4%  salt-solution;  salt-solution  yellow. 

9.    Put  in  a  6%  salt-solution. 
"      12.    Put  in  an  8%  salt-solution. 
"      15.    Put  in  a  12%  salt-solution. 

Experiment  No.  7 : 

A  duplicate  of  Experiment  No.  6,  except  that  after  placing  in  the  12%  salt-solution 
the  pickles  were  put  into  a  glass  vessel,  sealed  up  and  heated  to  99°  C.  (210°  Fahr.). 

The  pickles  from  each  experiment  were  placed  in  bottles  as  soon  as 
they  were- in  a  12%  salt  brine.  At  this  time  they  were  all  of  good 
flavor.  Those  of  Experiments  Nos.  1  and  2  (i°/0  and  \  %  lye)  were 
slightly  brown,  but  the  color  of  the  others  was  excellent.  Those  of 
Experiments  Nos.  6  and  7(2%  lye)  were  slightly  softened,  and  their 
flavor  was  perhaps  not  quite  so  good  as  that  of  those  treated  with 
weaker  solutions  of  lye.  All  the  pickles  remained  in  bottles  of  clear 
glass  exposed  to  the  light  for  ten  months,  when  they  were  examined 
with  the  following  results: 

After  ten  months. — Experiment  No.  1.  The  olives  were  of  very  good 
flavor  and  texture  and  had  kept  perfectly,  but  were  brownish  in  color, 
and  the  brine  in  which  they  had  been  kept  was  also  dark  brown. 

Experiment  No.  2.  The  olives  were  indistinguishable  from  those  of 
Experiment  No.  1,  but  the  brine,  though  brown,  was  less  dark-colored  - 

Experiment  No.  3.  The  olives  were  of  a  golden-yellow  color  and 
equal  to  those  of  Experiments  Nos.  1  and  2  in  flavor  and  texture.  Half 
of  the  brine  had  leaked  out  of  the  bottle,  but  the  olives  in  the  air  above 
the  brine  had  not  suffered  at  all,  and  were  equal  in  color  and  flavor  to 
those  still  immersed.     The  brine  was  brownish. 

Experiment  No.  4.  The  olives  of  this  lot  resembled  those  of  Experi- 
ment No.  3,  but  were  a  little  greener  and  brighter  n  color.  The  brine 
was  a  dark  straw  color. 

Experiment  No.  5.  The  olives  of  this  lot  were  still  greener  than 
those  of  the  foregoing  experiment,  and  showed  but  little  of  the  yellow 
color.  They  were  about  of  the  color  of  the  imported  "Queen"  olives. 
The  brine  was  colored  only  faintly  yellow. 

Experiment  No.  6.  The  olives  had  kept  perfectly  their  bright  green 
color,  and  the  brine  was  clear  and  almost  colorless. 

Experiment  No.  7.  The  olives  had  the  yellowish-green  color  of  those 
of  Experiment  No.  5,  but  the  brine  was  dark-colored,  even  darker  than 
that  of  Experiment  No.  1.     The  olives,  both  of  this  experiment  and  of 


—  19  — 

the  preceding,  had  become  quite  firm  and  had  kept  just  as  well  as  any, 
but  the  flavor  was  not  quite  equal  to  that  of  those  pickled  with  the  use 
of  weaker  lye-solutions. 

Two  months  later  the  pickles  were  examined  again,  with  results 
identical  with  those  given  above.  Those  of  Experiment  No.  3  which 
were  exposed  to  the  air  had  not  suffered  at  all.  The  brightest  green 
was  that  of  Experiment  No.  6,  but  the  color  that  would  be  most  accept- 
able to  the  trade  would  probably  be  that  of  Experiments  Nos.  5  and  7. 
The  objection  to  No.  7  would  be  the  dark  color  of  the  brine.  The  slight 
yellowish  tint  of  the  brine  of  Experiment  No.  5  would  probably  not  be  a 
serious  objection,  and  the  flavor  of  the  olives  was  distinctly  superior  to 
that  of  Experiments  Nos.  6  and  7.  Supplementary  experiments  made 
later  showed  that  when  too  strong  a  lye-solution  was  used  the  olives 
were  somewhat  bleached,  and  instead  of  the  bright  green  of  Experiment 
No.  6  or  the  yellowish-green  of  Experiment  No.  5,  we  obtain  a  pale 
whitish-green,  which  is  undesirable. 

CONCLUSIONS. 

This  series  of  experiments  shows  that  it  is  possible  to  produce  green 
pickled  olives  which  will  retain  their  color  for  at  least  twelve  months 
by  the  lye-and-salt  method  of  treatment,  if  properly  modified  and 
controlled.  The  color  is  preserved,  so  that  exposure  to  the  air  after  the 
completion  of  the  pickling  process  does  not  seriously  affect  the  color  for 
some  time.  (See  Experiment  No.  3.)  The  following  process,  based 
upon  these  experiments,  is  recommended: 

Choice  of  Fruit. — Only  large-fruited  varieties  should  be  used,  as  the 
small  green  pickles  bring  a  very  inferior  price.  The  olives  should  be 
gathered  as  soon  as  they  have  reached  full  size  and  before  they  have 
colored  notably.  A  slight  pink  color  on  one  side  does  little  harm,  as  it 
disappears  during  the  process,  but  olives  which  have  reached  the  stage 
of  ripeness  indicated  by  this  first  change  of  color  will  probably  have  less 
of  the  bright  green  than  if  gathered  earlier.  No  two  varieties  should  be 
pickled  together,  and  the  olives  should  be  graded  into  three  or  four 
sizes.  The  reason  for  this  is  that  different  varieties  and  different  sizes 
are  almost  sure  to  require  different  strengths  of  lye-solution,  and  it  is 
therefore  impossible  to  attain  the  best  results  unless  this  selection  is 
made.  The  proper  strength  of  lye-solution  to  use  in  each  case  is  best 
determined  by  a  preliminary  trial,  as  follows: 

Preliminary  Trial. — Take  a  series — about  six — of  pint  preserving- 
jars  and  fill  them  with  the  olives  to  be  tested.  Pour  into  them,  respec- 
tively, a  i%,  1%,  H%,  2%,  2*%,  and  3%  lye-solution,  sufficient  to 
completely  cover  the  fruit.     At  the  end  of  forty-eight  hours  examine 


—  20  — 

them.  (It  has  been  found  that  a  sufficiently  strong  lye-solution  will 
extract  the  acid  and  bitter  principles  of  even  very  bitter  olives  in  forty- 
eight  hours.)  At  the  end  of  this  time  some  of  the  weaker  lye-solutions 
will  be  found  to  have  been  neutralized,  that  is  to  say  all  the  lye  will 
have  been  used  up  in  acting  upon  the  acids  of  the  fruit.  This  will  be 
made  evident  by  the  lack  of  the  slimy  feeling  which  the  fingers  have 
when  dipped  into  a  lye-solution  and  rubbed  together.  Suppose  that 
the  i°/oi  1%,  and  1-|  %  solutions  are  neutralized,  and  that  the  2%  still 
has  a  slight  slimy  feeling.  This  will  show  that  a  2  %  solution  is  a  little 
stronger  than  is  necessary  to  neutralize  all  the  bitter  or  acrid  matters  in 
the  sample  tested.  If,  now,  we  use  a  2  %  solution  in  curing  the  bulk  of 
the  olives  from  which  the  sample  was  taken,  we  are  able  to  preserve  the 
green  color  perfectly.  If  we  use  a  somewhat  stronger  solution,  say  a  2-J  %, 
the  color  will  bleach  out  a  little;  while  if  we  use  a  much  weaker  solu- 
tion, say  a  1  %,  the  green  will  change  to  that  disagreeable  gray  or  brown 
which  we  wish  to  avoid. 

Process. — The  appropriate  strength  of  lye-solution  having  been 
determined,  the  olives  are  placed  in  convenient  receptacles,  where  they 
can  be  treated  with  a  minimum  exposure  to  light  and  air.  For  this 
purpose  fifty-gallon  barrels  with  very  large  bungholes  (four  or  five 
inches  in.  diameter)  and  spigots  are  useful.  After  filling  the  barrels 
with  olives  the  lye  of  the  strength  determined  in  the  preliminary  trial 
is  poured  in.  Each  barrel  should  be  quite  full  of  olives,  and  sufficient 
lye-solution  should  be  put  in  to  come  flush  with  the  bunghole.  At  the 
end  of  forty-eight  hours  the  lye  should  be  drawn  off,  the  olives  quickly 
washed  with  two  changes  of  fresh  water,  and  the  barrels  filled  imme- 
diately with  a  2  %  salt-solution.  This  brine  should  be  replaced  suc- 
cessively with  a  4%  and  8%,  and  finally  a  12%  solution,  in  the  last  of 
which  the  pickles  remain  permanently.  The  successive  brines  should  be 
allowed  to  act  for  from  forty-eight  to  seventy-two  hours  each,  according 
to  the  size  of  the  olives;  the  larger  sizes  requiring  more  time  for  the  brine 
to  penetrate  and  to  displace  the  excess  of  lye  which  remains.  The 
whole  process  will  thus  take  from  ten  to  fourteen  days. 

Absence  of  Air. — The  essential  part  of  the  process  is  to  avoid  exposing 
the  olives  to  the  air  during  the  pickling,  until  all  the  bitterness  and  acid 
are  completely  neutralized  by  the  lye.  After  this  the  green  color  seems 
to  be  fixed,  and  exposure  to  the  air  does  not  change  it  much,  though  it 
is  well,  all  thro  ugh  the  process,  to  avoid  leaving  the  olives  uncovered  by 
liquid  any  longer  than  necessary. 

As  d  fferent  varieties  of  olives  and  even  the  same  variety  in  different 
seasons  and  from  different  localities  differ  very  much  in  bitterness,  the 
importance  of  treating  each  variety  separately  is  evident,  as  each  will 


—  21  — 

require  lye-solutions  of  different  strength  to  neutralize  them.  Very- 
bitter  olives,  such  as  Mission,  Sevillano,  Manzanillo,  and  True  Picholine, 
require  solutions  containing  from  \\°/Q  to  2-J%  of  pure  potash  lye,  while 
olives  containing  little  bitterness,  such  as  Ascolano  and  Columbella, 
require  only  from  -J  %  to  1  %  solutions.  As  many  of  the  commercial  lyes 
are  far  from  pure,  some  containing  not  more  than  50  %  of  potash,  the  num- 
ber of  preliminary  tests  must  usually  be  at  least  six,  as  indicated  above. 
Preliminary  tests  conducted  as  described  do  not  require  an  analysis  of 
the  lye,  though  it  is  probable  that  lyes  containing  a  large  amount  of 
common  salt  would  act  more  slowly ;  and  with  such  lyes  a  treatment 
exceeding  forty-eight  hours  might  be  necessary. 

To  facilitate  the  preparation  of  the  different  strengths  of  solutions,  it 
is  convenient  to  remember  that  as  a  gallon  of  water  weighs  128  ounces, 
one  and  a  quarter  ounce  of  solid  lye  is  equal  (in  round  numbers)  to 
one  per  cent;  or  that  one  pound  of  such  lye  will  make  nearly  twelve 
and  a  half  gallons  of  one  per  cent  solution. 


